A Familiar Face, an Unfamiliar Place
by absentia-varia
Summary: The Andromeda Ascendant has a new guest aboard, one that used to call Sunnydale home. The past quickly catches up and people who were thought lost have come back to play...
1. one

Title: A Familiar Face, an Unfamiliar Place  
  
Author: blackroseangel69  
  
Rated: PG-13  
  
Pairings: Undecided  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy and co. that belongs to Joss Wheadon et al. I also don't own Andromeda, which came from the great mind of Gene Roddenbery,  
  
*~*  
  
Willow stared into space, the millions of stars seemingly calming her. "Commander Firestone?" a voice interrupted her thoughts. Firestone, that's was the name she was going by, at least for this century. After Willow had activated the Slayers she hadn't noticed anything had changed until her friends began noticing that she wasn't aging like the rest of them. It had taken a trip to LA and Angel's help to find out that the Powers That Be had chosen Willow to be their immortal champion. It had been hard to watch all those she loved slip away and die and she had lost any contact with Angel and Spike years ago. But now the world was different, the powers that be had long ago disappeared but Willow was still condemned to a living forever.  
  
"Commander Firestone?" the voice came again and Willow turned away from the window and re-focused where she was; the observation deck of a space station, thousands of years away from her original life.  
  
"Yes lieutenant?" she asked, she was Willow Firestone, a commander in the new Commonwealth.  
  
"The Andromeda Ascendant has arrived" the young lieutenant informed Willow. The last time Willow had been aboard the Andromeda it had been over 300 years ago, before the fall of the Commonwealth. It had been when Dylan had been just starting out as captain of the Andromeda Ascendant and Willow had been aboard for a brief time, her hair had been blonde then, and she doubted that he would remember her.  
  
"Captain Dylan Hunt" the young man announced and Dylan walked into the room, Willow held her breath.  
  
"Captain Hunt" Willow said, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you"  
  
"Please call me Dylan, and it's a pleasure to meet you too. I've heard great things about what you are doing with the Commonwealth." Dylan said shaking Willow's hand, "Shall we?" he said motioning for Willow to accompany him to his ship. Willow smiled as she walked along the corridors.  
  
"It's Willow, please. Yes well when I found out what you were trying to accomplish, I knew I had to help." Willow told him  
  
When Willow entered the ship she was greeted by two humans, a Nietzschean and what Willow recognised as the ship, she also noted a female of a species that she had never encountered before.  
  
"Welcome to the Andromeda Ascendant, I'd like you to meet Rebeka Valentine, Seamus Harper, Tyr Anasazi, Trance and Rommie" Dylan said  
  
"I'm the ships avatar" Rommie explained  
  
"Crew, this is Commander Willow Firestone, she'll be staying with us for a while, so make her feel welcome. "Dylan said, finishing the introductions. Willow was starting to feel exhausted, she had been up for 72 hours unable to sleep, and luck would have it Dylan chose that moment to escort her to her quarters.  
  
When Willow was alone she lay down and closed her eyes.  
  
The crew of the Andromeda Ascendant went back to what they were doing before they met Willow.  
  
"So what do you think of Commander Firestone?" Harper asked Beka, "She's a major hottie right?"  
  
"Harper" Beka said looking at him in disbelief, "Firstly I wouldn't know, secondly, she's one of the top commanders in the Commonwealth. Couldn't you be impressed by that?" Beka said, Harper paused,  
  
"Yeah I know that, but she's still a hottie" Harper said and went off to his workshop. Beka continued along and Tyr caught up with her,  
  
"What do you think of Commander Firestone?" she asked him  
  
"I hear she is a skilled warrior and a formidable force" Tyr said as he and Beka entered the bridge, Dylan and Rommie were already in the room,  
  
"Dylan" Rommie said, "Can I talk to you?" she asked but didn't wait for an answer, "Good" Dylan motioned for her to continue, "Did Commander Firestone seem. familiar to you?" she asked. Dylan ran his hand through his hair and thought,  
  
"Un I suppose, why?"  
  
"Because she's been aboard me before Dylan" Rommie said facing him, Dylan laughed,  
  
"I think I would have remembered her Rommie, and wouldn't have everyone else recognised her as well?" Dylan asked.  
  
"No Dylan, you don't understand" Rommie and then switched to her display screen version,  
  
"Commander Firestone was on this ship over 300 years ago." Andromeda brought up a profile of a blonde haired woman who apart from the hair colour looked exactly like Commander Firestone, Rommie turned to Dylan.  
  
"Ambassador Rosen travelled with us shortly, during our trip from her home planet at the time to commonwealth headquarters. I ran a scan of Commander Firestone; it matches perfectly with Ambassador Rosen's profile. She may have changed her hair colour, but even I can do that. They are one in the same." Rommie finished. Beka who had been listening in on the conversation spoke up,  
  
"Wait a minute, how was she on this ship over 300 years ago? I mean I'm not getting the feeling she was stuck in an event horizon like you guys were" she said.  
  
"Okay, so Willow was here over 300 years ago. There has to be a logical explanation, right?" he said looking at Rommie and Beka, "Right?" he said looking at Tyr who just stared back at him and raised an eyebrow,  
  
"Why don't you simply ask her?" Tyr said  
  
"Well yeah" Dylan said, "That'd be the obvious thing to do." He trailed off and looked at the three people before him, they just stared back at him, "I'll go get Harper and Trance" he said and walked off the bridge a little shaken at the revelations.  
  
*~*  
  
Willow was lying on the bed in her quarters; she relaxed and let her senses reach out throughout the ship. She could feel the movements of all on board; she was surprised that Dylan and his crew had managed so much in so little time, to mention that the crew had been tiny. Willow was impressed, for the 300 years after the collapse of the Commonwealth she had retreated to peaceful planets and hadn't known what to do until she'd heard that someone was trying to rebuild the Commonwealth.  
  
Willow opened her eyes, something was happening in the ship, Willow sat up in bed, 'They knew!' she thought and then she sighed. She was sick of going from place to place, changing her name and her looks. What were the odds that in two lifetimes she was going to be travelling on the Andromeda? There was nothing she could do about it, she had heard that Dylan was a fairly nice guy; maybe it was time to be Willow Rosenberg again. So Willow closed her eyes and lay back down.  
  
*~*  
  
Dylan, Beka, Tyr, Harper, Trance and Rommie were all standing inform of a display screen with the two profiles of Willow.  
  
"So what are you saying boss man?" Harper asked, "That they were the same person?"  
  
"I think that's exactly what he's saying" Trance said.  
  
"So what are we going to do about it?" Beka asked  
  
"I thought you had decided that you were going to ask her about it" Tyr said. It was then that the doors to the bridge opened and Willow stepped inside. Her eyes flickered to the display screen and then settled on the crew.  
  
"I guess you'd like an explanation" she said.  
  
TBC.  
  
So what do you think? I just felt like writing an Andromeda/BtVS crossover, as I love both shows. 


	2. two

Part 2  
  
*~*  
  
I guess you'd like me to explain she said.  
  
*~*  
  
A few minutes later they were all seated around a conference table with Willow in the middle. Willow looked at everyone before saying, "Yes I have been on the Andromeda before"  
  
"Yeah, we kinda figured that" Beka said. Willow sighed and got up and walked over to the window. She stared out at the stars.  
  
"I'm from earth" Willow said and Harper perked up,  
  
"Really? So am I" He said, Willow turned around and smiled at him.  
  
"I was born in 1982" she said and was greeted with a stunned silence so she continued, "When I was 22 something happened to me and I stopped aging. I didn't choose for this to happen, it was chosen for me" Willow said.  
  
"Wait a minute, 1982? That's practically prehistoric; we're talking a couple of thousand years here at least, right?" Harper said shocked.  
  
"So what you're saying is you've been alive for a few thousand years? How is that possible?" Beka asked and Willow prepared herself to explain.  
  
"I was in a battle and I performed a spell which was a catalyst for my current condition." Willow explained. When she was greeted with more stunned silence she then added, "I'm a witch" there was silence for a while before,  
  
"Spell? Witch?" Tyr asked  
  
"Wait a minute, Witch? As in magic like vampires and demons?" Harper asked, Willow smiled before replying  
  
"Yes, except I'm the only one left now"  
  
Everyone was very quiet, Dylan looked to be in deep thought, the rest looked like they didn't believe her and Trance hadn't said anything. Willow knew they had to make a decision about her so she headed for the door.  
  
"I'll leave you to make a decision. I'll be in my quarters" she said and exited the room. Once she was gone Beka spoke up,  
  
"So what do we do?" she asked, "I mean I don't know whether she's telling the truth or not. Witch? That's pretty farfetched"  
  
"As farfetched as someone being trapped alive for 300 years? I'm not to sure" Dylan said, "I say we believe her"  
  
Rommie looked at him knowing he would want her to side with him. "She had done wonderful things in the new Commonwealth. I would say she is trustworthy" Rommie said.  
  
"I'm with Rom Doll" Harper said and looked at Tyr  
  
"I do not care what happens" he told the group.  
  
"What about you Trance? You haven't said what you think yet" Dylan said. Trance took a moment to collect her thoughts before saying,  
  
"I think she's here for a reason. We should see this through" she finished, nodding her head.  
  
"Alright then" Dylan said "Who wants to tell her she can stay? Because I'm sure she's convinced that we want her off the ship and in a mental asylum"  
  
Trance raised her hand, "I'll do it" she said and quickly exited the room.  
  
*~*  
  
When Trance entered Willow's room Willow was lying on the bed. "You can stay" Trance told her, "We believe you" she said and when Willow didn't respond Trance walked over and sat next to her on the bed. "I believe you" she said and at that Willow sat up.  
  
"You do?" she asked and Trance just looked at her and said  
  
"Don't be sad. They were lost, but never forgotten, you keep their memory alive and you shall not be alone for much longer. They will be found again" she finished. Before Willow could ask her what she was talking about, Trance got up and said, "Come on, we should go back to everyone. I know Dylan will want to have a talk with you" she said and walked out of the room.  
  
Willow sat there for a moment before she left the room and made her way to Dylan's quarters. The door opened and Dylan motioned for Willow to come in. She did and stood in front of him before he said,  
  
"So. you're a witch?" he questioned. Willow decided to show him rather than explain again. She waved her hand in front of her and the room they were in dissolved and changed into Willow's old room at Buffy's house. Dylan looked around stunned and his eyes traveled back to Willow who was now dressed in 21st century jeans and a t-shirt which was a big change from her High Guard Commonwealth uniform. "Wha.?" Dylan said stunned. Willow smiled and walked over to the window which now looked down into the Summers' back yard.  
  
"this was where I used to live. My best friend's house, Sunnydale, California" she told Dylan who had walked up next to her. Dylan looked shocked.  
  
"Earth?" he said looking out of the window. "Like the paradise the said it once was" Willow smiled and the scene changed again, this time to a hill that over looked the town.  
  
"Yes" she said, "Twenty-first century earth. Its still a long while before advanced space exploration began"  
  
"Why are you here?" Dylan asked looking at Willow. She smiled a sad smile before replying,  
  
"Like I told you, I did a spell. One that made sure life as we knew it continued. But once it was done, powers, higher beings decided to make me their immortal champion" she said, "Forever living"  
  
"You said that you were the only one left" Dylan questioned  
  
"Thousands of years have passed" Willow explained to him, "I don't know where they are now. Perhaps they've all disappeared, perhaps now. All I know is that it has been a very long time since I've even seen a hint of my old life."  
  
"You must be very lonely" Dylan stated  
  
"Yes, but after thousands of years you begin to get used to it." She said, "I'd imagine you know how I feel, leaving all your friends behind with no way of ever seeing them again. You move on, deal with it. At least you have Rommie" she told him and turned away from him, the image of Sunnydale disappearing.  
  
"Dylan?" Came Rommie's voice as a hologram image appeared in the room, "You may want to come to the bridge" she said and flickered out. Dylan looked to Willow and motioned for her to join him.  
  
*~*  
  
When Willow entered the bridge with Dylan she was once again dressed in her uniform. An image of a woman was frozen on the main display.  
  
Rommie turned to Dylan before saying, "We just received this message from the Commonwealth" The woman unfroze and the message began playing. Willow recognized her as Sillan, one of her colleges.  
  
"Captain Hunt. I assume you have collected Commander Firestone and are treating her well." Sillan paused, "I am to inform you that you shall have more visitors. Two visitors from a commercial planet are to be escorted to Commonwealth headquarters which I hear you are passing my in a month or so. Ambassador Orin and his assistant are to be treated with all the courtesy that the Commonwealth has, these are men of high status. Take care of Willow for me. Sillan out" and the message finished.  
  
"Great, more people" Beka said then looked at Willow, "No offence" Willow just smiled at her. "So where are we headed?" she asked  
  
"Planet Voltron" Rommie replied, "We are less than 10 minutes away, we have to enter slipstream" she informed the crew.  
  
*~*  
  
Willow was sitting in the conference room with the rest of the crew. Dylan had gone to greet their guests. The rest of Andromeda's crew was becoming more comfortable around her now that they knew who she actually was. Willow sensed that Dylan was back on board with his two guests who both felt familiar.  
  
"So was earth really a paradise like they said it used to be?" Harper said, eager to lean more about home. Willow smiled,  
  
"Compared to what it is now, yes. If you'd like I could show you" Willow offered and the doors to the room opened and Dylan walked in with a cloaked figure behind him.  
  
"May I introduce Ambassador Orin" Dylan introduced. The figure removed the hood off his head so he could be seen.  
  
Willow's jaw dropped and she shot out of her char and said in disbelief.  
  
"Angel?"  
  
TBC.  
  
So what do you think so far? And Angel isn't the only person who is going to reappear. THANK YOU TO ALL MY REVIEWERS:  
  
cedric977, boo, Gen, WW, Jorja, brian, Yami Bite Yumi Me Chan, magewind, Christina, Night Cat Zanon, S.M., OrionTheHunter, Harry2, inquisitive1 


	3. three

Part 3  
  
Angel's gaze settled on Willow, she just stared back, "Willow" he said smiling at his old friend, "Its been a long time". Willow recovered quickly from her iital shock and short out of her chair and into Angel's arms. The two friends stayed there for a little while, the crew of Andromeda looking on.  
  
"If you're here, does that mean." Willow trailed off  
  
"Yes William is still around"  
  
"Well where is he?" Willow asked looking around Angel, he chuckled,  
  
"He's not here, I'd say he's still down on the planet, but someone else you know is around" Angel said in his usual cryptic way. Angel also noted the disappointed look on Willow's face when he said that William was not with him. He knew the close relationship the two had when they were younger, and the universe was a kinder place.  
  
"Uhhumm" came a noise from Dylan, "Could someone please explain what's going on?" he asked. Willow turned and looked at Dylan,  
  
"Maybe we should be sitting down for this" Angel answered for Willow and himself. Dylan, Angel and Willow joined the others back at the table.  
  
"Now that we're seated, would someone like to explain to me what's going on?" Dylan asked again. The rest of Andromeda's crew turned and looked at Angel and Willow for an explanation,  
  
"Angel is an old friend" Willow started but before she could continue Rommie turned to look at Angel,  
  
"I thought your name was Liam Orin?" she questioned  
  
"Look, Angel is an old friend of mine, and what I mean by that is I knew him when I lived on earth" Willow explained. A look of shock came over most of the crew.  
  
"So. you really are old friends, huh? Harper said and Angel looked at Willow surprised that she had apparently told these people the truth, or at least part of it.  
  
"Yes, although this is the first time that we've run into each other in. many years" Angel explained.  
  
"So what are you doing here then?" Beka asked  
  
"I'm headed for the Commonwealth for official business with my assistant, just like you thought. I had no idea that Willow was going to be here though" Angle turned to Dylan, "Captain Hunt, I wonder if another of my associates, William might join us on this trip after all. He and Willow know each other also" Angel asked smiling inwardly. He knew that William would like it very much and if Angel returned to the planet perhaps months later, saying he had run into Willow, he would be dead.  
  
"Sure why not" Dylan said, slightly bewildered, "The more the merrier"  
  
"Well then I would like to return to the surface immediately to collect my colleague" Angel requested,  
  
""Of course" Dylan said, "Beka will accompany you down in the Maru"  
  
"Well then, I guess we should get going" Angel said and stood up and turned to Willow, "I am guessing my assistant would like to see you" he said and strode out of the room with Beka.  
  
*~*  
  
Willow was standing in front of Angel's assistant's room, she had no idea who I was but Angel wanted them to meet. Willow pressed the 'doorbell' to announce her presence. The door slid open and she walked inside, what she saw shocked her, sitting in the room, there was no doubt about it, was Anya.  
  
"Willow?" Anya asked, seemingly just as shocked as Willow,  
  
"But. you were." she trailed off; Anya smiled at Willow, "How?" Willow asked in amazement.  
  
"Yes, I died, but for me I woke up in front of D'Hoffren. One hundred years had passed, but it didn't feel like that to me. I had no idea that you were still alive until a couple hundred years later. I ran into Spike and he took me to Angel and they explained to me what had happened since my death" Anya explains.  
  
"D'Hoffren? Does that mean you're.?"  
  
"A demon again? Yes, I was given my old title once again. But I'd ask that you don't tell anyone"  
  
"Of course" Willow embraced Anya, having been in shock when she first saw her friend. "So what's life been like with Angel and Spike?" Anya laughed  
  
"They haven't changed. Although I do get the distinct impression that something happened between you and Spike. Every time we talked about you he'd either leave the room or get this strange look over his face" When Anya didn't get a response from Willow she moved on, "Anyway, life's been good"  
  
"You've changed" Willow observed, "You seem more. mature: she said and Anya smiled.  
  
"I guess all it took was a couple more thousand years, so what have you been up to lately?" Anya asked and the two talked for over two hours on their lives post Sunnydale before the door slid open to Anya's room and in the doorway stood Dylan accompanied by Angel and. Spike.  
  
"Spike!" Willow exclaimed and left Anya's side to embrace her old friend. Anya watched them with a smirk on her face.  
  
"It's been too long Red, you don't write, you don't call and the next thing I know is you're halfway across the galaxy and you're a Commonwealth Commander: Spike said and smiled when Willow pulled back.  
  
"Missed you too Spike" she said and turned to Dylan, "Captain, I'm guessing that you would like a more thorough explanation"  
  
"You don't need to explain, you outrank me after all" Dylan said and Willow smiled,  
  
"Regardless of my rank, I would like to explain none the less" Willow said, "Anya do you mind if we talk in here?"  
  
"Not at all" Anya said and then stood up, "Now if you don't mind I'm going to change. I just don't like the fahion of this century, something from the 21st century would be nice" she said and walked off, Willow rolling her eyes slightly.  
  
"Well" Dylan began once everyone had sat down, "How do you all know each other?" he asked. Willow looked around the room and quickly took charge,  
  
"You know about my life in Sunnydale, Angel, Spike and Anya were a part of the life too" Willow began,  
  
"So, you are all really old huh?" Dylan asked, "I mean I've been around for over 300 years, and I know that you are all much older than that" Willow smiled slightly at his comment,  
  
"Well actually when I was a still a mortal and living in Sunnydale, Angel was about 250 when I met him and Spike was about 126 I think. Anya thought was over 1000 years old." Willow revealed  
  
"Did I hear someone say my name?" Anya said walking out in a dress that she had from when she owned the Magic Box. "I guess you're talking about all the boring stuff" She turned to Dylan, "We were all human once, well all of us but you, anyway, we were all human and how we're not so human and we're gonna live for a very long time" Anya said and sat down.  
  
"Okay" Dylan said a bit confused, "I'm guessing this is a really long and complicated story, but you seem to be on our side so you're okay by me" he said and stood up. "I'll be on the bridge if you need anything" he said and walked out of the room. Willow turned and looked at her old friends; she couldn't remember the last time she had been around so many familiar faces, at least real ones and not magical recreations. She regretted losing touch with Angel and Spike.  
  
"So luv, what are you up to in my part of the galaxy?" Spike asked Willow,  
  
"Official Commonwealth business, all in a days work and look, I managed to catch up with my old friends who survived this long. By the way, how have you survived this long?" Willow asked  
  
"It turns out that the gem of Amara came from a larger stone" Angel explained, "Wolfram and Hart tracked it down and the stone was turned into two rings that Spike and myself use" Willow nodded her head in understanding. She smiled and thought to herself that for the first time in a long while she felt like she was home.  
  
*~*  
  
Meanwhile Trance was tending to her plants when something caught her attention and she looked up ad said, "And so it begins..."  
  
"What begins?" Tyr asked from the doorway, he had just entered the room when he heard Trance talk to herself. Trance quickly made herself busy with her plants. "Trance." he said warningly and the girl looked up at him,  
  
"The universe is beginning to right some wrongs. What should be shall be. But there is nothing to worry about, we will be witnessing a miracle in the making" Trance said and watered one of the plants. Tyr stood there thinking before he said,  
  
"Does this have anything to do with our latest guests?" Trance didn't answer Tyr and stepped around him to the door. She turned and looked at him and smiled,  
  
"Don't worry, everything will turn out like it's supposed too" she said and left the room.  
  
*~*  
  
Dylan was standing on the observation deck when he felt a presence behind him, "Can we trust them?" he asked, and then said "That's what you want to know, isn't it?"  
  
"Well you have to admit Dylan, it is kind of unbelievable"  
  
"I believed her. I've seen what she can do with my own eyes" Dylan said and turned to face Rommie. "They can all be trusted" Rommie studied Dylan's face before giving in,  
  
"I trust your judgement Dylan, you know that" Rommie said and then changed the topic. "We will be leaving the system in just under an hour" she informed Dylan.  
  
*~*  
  
Willow and Spike were sitting in her room talking about all that had happened in their lives so far. "Who would have thought that the universe would turn out like it did ey Pet?" Spike asked.  
  
"Oh I had some idea; I mean if we were the only intelligent life in the universe then I would have been very scared. I'm just surprised that I'm still around to see it"  
  
"Look Per, about us and losing touch."Spike began,  
  
"Don't worry about it" Willow said, "It wasn't your fault about what happened with us, it was no ones fault" Willow said remembering the day that Buffy had died. It had been a random demon attack in Europe, it hadn't even known that Buffy was the Slayer and just like that, she was gone. Soon after that Willow had begun to loose contact with everyone else. She had stayed in contact with Spike the longest until she finally withdrew from him as well. She left and began to create a new life for herself. But now things were different. Willow was beginning to think that this was a new turning point in her life.  
  
"What are you thinking about Pet?" Spike asked the red head who was leaning against his shoulder. Willow sighed ad looked up at Spike,  
  
"Just remembering, I'm glad you're all here. I feel like I can relax and finally be myself again for once" Willow said and closed her eyes. The two stayed like that, sitting on the couch, Willow resting on Spike each comfortable with the other's presence.  
  
TBC.  
  
A.N. Okay first of all a BIG THANKS to all those who reviewed! You made me want to write more and here it is. I know this chapter for me was almost like a filler. But it was needed, so hopefully you like and review once more.  
  
A HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY! To all Aussies out there, and ugh, I have to go back to school a week from today. I'm starting yr 12 so I might not get a lot more up quickly, just letting you know. 


End file.
